Covid Brazil, China Vaccine Test Stop: “Serious Accident”

Published on: 11/10/2020 8:11 AM

Brazilian health authorities have announced the suspension of clinical tests of a candidate for a coronavirus vaccine from the Chinese laboratory Sinovac Biotech after “a serious accident” that involved a volunteer. No further details were provided, but it was stated that this type of “accident” could lead to life-threatening side effects, severe disability, hospitalization and other “clinically significant events”.

However, Sinovac Biotech confirms the “confidence in the safety” of the candidate anti-Covid vaccine being tested. In a note posted on its website, Sinovac Biotech refers to “news in the media” and adds: “After having had communications with the Brazilian partner Instituto Butantan, we learned that the head of the Instituto Butantan believes that this serious event adverse (Sae) is not related to the vaccine. “

Sinovac points out that it will continue in contact with interlocutors in Brazil. “Clinical trials in Brazil are carried out in strict compliance with Gcp (Good Clinical Practices) and – the note concludes – we are confident in the safety of the vaccine”.

“According to the Butantan Institute, Sinovac’s partner in Brazil, the incident has nothing to do with the vaccine,” said Beijing Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin.